-
Period: to
American Civil Rights 1959-1963
Some events that occurred during the American Civil Rights -
Freedom Riders
They were an interracial group of activists who attempted to ride Greyhound and Trailway busses from Washington D.C. to New Orleans, LA. They wanted to test Interstate Commerce Commission's ban on segregated busses and facilities. Many of these people were arrested as a result of freedom rides or civil disobedience. -
Jim Crow Laws
The states in the south passed Anti-African American legislation. Public places such as restuarants, theatres, schools, hotels, bathrooms, and drinking fountains were segregated. People who disobeyed these laws were arrested and fined. It was supposed to be "separate but equal" but wasn't looked at this way. On 12/16/61 Martin Luther King was jailed on charges of parading without a permit, disturbing the peace, and obstructing the sidewalk. He was arrested with more than 700 Albany protestors. -
James Meredith
James Meredith was an American Civil Rights Movement figure. He decided to exercise his democratic rights and apply to the University of Mississippi. Meredith was rejected twice from the University. Violence and rioting surrounded the incidenct. He was admitted under the protection of federal marshals and was the first African American student there. -
March on Washington
The 1963 March on Washington attracted an estimated 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote civil rights and economic equality for African Americans. -
Martin Luther King "I Have a Dream"
Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech after the March on Washington. It was a 15 minute speech that took place on the Lincoln Memorial steps for jobs and freedom. 200,000 people were there to witness and hear his speech. It was the top American speech of the 20th century. -
Church in Birmingham blows up
A dynamite bomb explodes outside Sunday services at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The explosion killed 4 girls and injured 20 people. Denise Mcnair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Addie Ma Collins were the 4 girls who died. Members of the KKK were the cause of the bombing. -
Ku Klux Klan
The Klu Klux Klan was established in Pulaski Tennessee by six former Confederate officers. It was also know as the KKK. It is a white supremacist organization with members wearing costumes consisting of robes, masks and conical hats. Fractions of the organization used acts of terrorism including murder, lynching, arson, rape and bombing to oppose granting of civil rights to African Americans. Such as the bombing of the Chuch in Birmingham.
